MPs furious after Prasa no show

MPs are demanding that members of the Board of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) fly into Cape Town for a meeting this afternoon‚ after failing to attended a scheduled meeting with the portfolio committee on transport in Parliament this morning.

“In the wake of the no-show‚ Committee Members insisted that the Board appear in Parliament today‚ saying they were willing to wait for them while they travelled from Johannesburg‚” the committee said in a statement.

Acting committee chairperson Leonard Ramatlakane asked about the non-attendance of the board today‚ at a meeting that had already been postponed due to a previous failure of the Board to appear last week. The meeting was to examine issues affecting the entity and the UniteBehind‚ a civil society organisation in the transport sector‚ is to make a presentation.

“Was the Board not supposed to be here? The Board is the accounting structure to the Committee. When the Committee invited you last week‚ it was clear that the Board should be here‚” Ramatlakane said.

The Prasa Acting Group Chief Executive Officer‚ Cromet Molepo‚ informed the committee that there was confusion with the invite‚ which was received late yesterday‚ according to the statement.

However‚ a Department of Transport representative‚ Sipho Dibakwane‚ said there was no confusion‚ as the invite was sent to Prasa on time and indicated clearly the composition of the delegation. “The problem is with Prasa‚ not the Department and not the Ministry‚” he said.

The Committee resolved to adjourn and reconvene at 14h00 with the Prasa Board.